Automatic hose coupling



May 1s, 1943 c. KEYl 2,319,329

AUTOMATIC HOSE COUPLING INVENTOR,

May 13, 1943 P. c. KEY

AUTOMATIC HSE COUPLING Filed March 2s, l1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Ni nu @Nl @N l INVENToR. @.Zeg/

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ATTD R N EYE May 18, 1943 P. c. KEY

AUTOMATIC Hosr1 coUPLI'NG Filed March '26, 1942 'Per c ATTE] RNEYE Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC HOSE COUILING Percy C. Key, College Station, Tex.

Application March 26, 1942, Serial No. 436,342

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic hose coupling particularly adapted to coupling steam or air hose used on trains.

An object of the invention is to provide a coupling which will obviate the danger incident to going in Ibetween cars to effect coupling and unc'oupling of the hose.

A further object is to provide a coupling having limited flexing movement in a vertical and lateral direction to prevent uncoupling when making a curve or traveling over uneven roads.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted Ilto within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In' the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic hose coupling constructed in accordance with the in,- vention, showing the cars in coupled position and the hose coupling in .coupled position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1 but.' showing the cars and hose coupling, uncoupled.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the hose coupling in the position shown in Figure 1, with parts in section. v

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the companion cuff and head on the opposing ends of the hose coupling. j Figure 5 is an end elevation of one of the hangers and the rodl of rectangular cross section mounted for vertical movement therein.

' Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on lthe line 6,-6 of Figure 2.

` Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts injthe various views, the automatic coupling may be used in connecton'with either passenger or freight cars, and by way of illustration is shown as' effecting the connection of-train pipes I0 on adjacent freight cars I I.

Depending from the rbottom of each car are spaced U-slraped hangers I2, see Figure 5, the hangers being bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom of the car. A rod I3 of rectangular cross section, is carried by the hangers for vertical movement with relation thereto, the rod being provided with transverse pins I4 at the ends engaging the hangers to prevent endwise movemen of the rod in the hangers.

A pair of arms I5 extend downwardly fnom the rod I3. As best shown in Figure 6 the upper end of each arm is formed with a sleeve I6 which is mounted on a collar I'I which is provided with a rectangular opening to loosely receive the rod I3. A set screw I8, engaged through a slot I9 in the sleeve I6 and threaded into the collar I'I, permits limited oscillating movement ofthe arm I5 on the rod I3 while the arm may slide longitudinally of the rod I3. The lower end of each arm I5 is formed with a sleeve 20 and a pipe 2| is engaged through the sleeves of both arms. The sleeve of one arm is pinned to the pipe by a set screw 22 while the sleeve of the other arm is loose on the pipe. In rear lor the sleeve of said other arm a collar 23 is pinnedto the pipe by a set screw 24. A helical spring 25 is sleeved on the pipe ibetween both arms. In rear of thecollar 23 fthe train pipe I0 is provided with a conventional coupling 26 which connects the train pipe to the pipe 2 l. A f

The pipe 2l is provided with lateral branches 2l at theforward end these branches terminating in forwardly extending branches 28, see Figure 3, one of which is equipped with a conical cuff 29 and the other of which is equipped with a conical head 30 lthrough which thebranch pipe 28 projects for a short distance, see Figure 4.A The branch 28 is continued through the head'to provide a short projecting pipe 3I which enters the companion pipe 28 when the head enters the cuff of the latter as shown in Figure 4. A rubber 1ining 32 is disposed within the cuff 29 and a rubber facing 33 is disposed on the conical head 30 to provide a steam or air tight connection between these parts. i

For moving the pipe 2| and its` coupling elements 29 and 30'into operative or inoperative position with respect'to the companion coupling elements of the adjacent car, a shaft 34 is rotatably mounted in bearings 35 disposed onthe end beam 36 of the car,A and handles 3l are, secured to the ends of the shaft. A lever 38 is pivotally secured at the upper end to thebottom of the car and at the lower endnis pivotally connected to a collar 39s1ideably mounted on the rod I3, by a link 40. AV second link rv4I -is p ivotally connectedvto `the lever 38 vat ay point intermediate the ends of the lever and the forward end of the link 4I is connected to a crank arm 42, at the lower end of the 2 i f 2,319,329 "i latter. The crank arm 42 is secured to the manually operable shaft 34.

When the shaft 34 is turned in one direction the collar 39 will be moved forwardly and carry the adjacent arm I5 forwardly, see Figure 2, so that pressure is exerted on the spring 25 and the spring thus be moved forwardly on the pipe 2| with the result that the forward arm l5, which is pinned to the pipe at 22, will be moved forwardly, and carry the pipe forwardly to engage the conical head 33 with the companion conical cuff 29 of the adjacent car. A latching mechanism connected to the shaft 34 maintains this operative position, as will presently be described. When the manually operable shaft 34 is turned inthe oppo-f site direction the collar 39 will be moved: rearwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 to jacent arm I5 will be moved by the spring 25 'to engage the heretofore mentioned stop collar 23, which is pinned to the screw 24 to carry the pipe 2| rearwardly as a unit with the forward arm I5 and uncouple the coupling elements 2S and 30.

The latching mechanism before mentioned is in the nature of a snap action lever mechanism spring controlled to remain in either of its off center positions as will be now described. As shown in Figure 2 the latch mechanism comprises a pair of levers 43 and 44 pivotally connected at their inner ends as shown at 45, the lower lever being connected to the shaft 34 to be swung by rotation of the shaft while the upper lever is slideably and pivotally engaged in an elongated opening formed in a bracket arrn 45 which is secured to the end beam 3E of the car. A spring 41 is sleeved on the upper lever 44 between the bracketw46 anda stop collar 48 on the lever. Movement of the shaft 34 will swing the upper lever to either of it'srt'wo oli center positions and the lever will be held in such position by the spring Y4l', as will be understood, to maintain the coupledvor uncoupled position of the coupled elements 2,9 and Se.

From the above description it isthought that the Vconstruction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What isclaimed is:

1. `The combination With a car of spaced front and rear hangers secured to the bottom of the car, a horizontal rod of rectangular cross section mounted in the hangers for vertical movement, spaced arms mounted for sliding movement longitudinallyon the rod, means permittinglimited lateral oscillating movement of the arms on the rod, a pipe carried by the lower ends of the arms, one of the arms being fixed to the pipe and the other arm slideably engaging the pipe, a spring sleeved on the pipe between the arms, the pipe having branches at the forward end, means for coupling the rear end of the pipe to a train pipe,v coupling members on the branches including a conical head 0n one branch and a conical cuff on the other branch adapted to engage respectively a companion conical cuff and a companion conical head when the pipe is moved to operative position, operating means connected to the arm which slideably engages the pipe for compressing the spring against the arm which is fixed tothe pipe to move the pipe endwise into operative position, said spring being adapted to move the arm which slideably engages the pipe against a stop on the pipe to return the pipe to inoperative position upon release of saidroperating means,

and latch means connected to the operating means for holding the pipe in operation or in inoperative position.

2. The structure as of claim 1 and in which the means for permitting limited lateral oscillating movement of the arms comprises a bearing collar slideably mounted o-n the rod, a sleeve on the upper end of the arm mounted to turn on the bearing collar, said sleeve having a circumferential slot, and a set screw engaged in the bearing collar and projecting through said slot.

3. The structure as of claim 1 and in which the operating means comprises a collar slideably mounted on the rod engaging the arm which is i* slideably engaged with the pipe, motion transl,rnitting levers Vand connecting link-s operatively connected to the collar for sliding the collar, a the position shown in Figure 2 so that the admanually operable shaft disposed transversely of the car terminating in handles at the ends thereof, and a crank arm carried by the shaft connected to said motion transmitting levers and connecting links.

4. The structure as of claim 1 and in which the latch means comprises levers pivotall'y coni nected together and connected to the car and lto the manually'operable shaft for off center movement on each side of the vertical plane, and a spring carried by one of the levers Vfor yieldably holding the levers in either of the Vtvvo oli center positions.

5. The combination with a car, of two spaced hangers secured to the bottom of the car, a ho'rizontal rod mounted in the hangers for vertical movement, spaced arms mounted for sliding and oscillating movement on the rod, a pipe Vcarried by the lower ends of the arms, one of the arms being fixed to the pipe and the other arm' slidably engaging the pipe, a spring sleeve on the pipe between the arms, a coupling carried by the outer end of the pipe vfor connection with a train pipe, operating means connected to the arm slidably mounted on the pipe for compressing the spring against the fixed-'arm to move the pipe endwise into operative position, said lspring adapted to move the arm 'which is slidable against a stop on the pipe to .return-the same to operative position upon release ofsaid operating means, and latch means connected tothe operatin'g means for helding the pipe in coupled or uncoupled positions.

6. The combination with .a car, voftvvo spaced hangers secured to the bottom of thecar, a horl-v zontal rod mounted i'n the hangers for vertical movement and held against rotation, spaced arms mounted for sliding and oscillating movement on the rod, a pipe carried by the lower 'end of the arms, one of the arms being fixed to the pipe and the other arm slidably engaging the pipe, a spring sleeve on the pipebetween the arms, a coupling carried by the outer `endoi the pipe for connection `witl'i a train, pipe, operating 

